A Faery Tale

Chapter 1

Sean Kennedy watched the full moon rise behind the trees,
sending slivers of light through the branches to shine like searchlights on the
water. The lake was nearly still, with only a
few ripples raised by the light breeze. The faint, shimmery light highlighted his dusky mood, enhancing the solitude of his
surroundings.

The lake was situated in an isolated corner of a park not a half-hour’s
drive from Sean's home, and he only came to sit by its shores when he was feeling lonely. Sean sat here a lot. He couldn’t explain why he did it. He
couldn’t remember that it had ever made him feel better, and any reasonable person would argue that the melancholy atmosphere was more
likely to make him feel worse. For some reason, though, he often found himself
drawn back here, watching that same full moon rise behind those same
trees. The Moon always seemed to be full when
he was here. Sean credited that to an actively romantic imagination, staging the past with the most evocative mise en scéne. Watching
the water now, when the moon was in fact full, he knew how effective that
little extra detail could be.

Sean had to
admit that anyone watching his life from the outside would be
puzzled at his morose attitude.
He had plenty of friends and family, and had even had a few romantic
relationships as well (none of them having ended well, or he wouldn’t have been here,
but many people shared that story). There were those he loved, and many he was close to, but none of them
seemed to be quite . . . enough. There
was a gap, an empty spot in his existence. Some place where something was
supposed to go. But what? Or who? And how was he supposed to fill that hole when he didn’t even know
what was supposed to fit into it?

The moon
rose above the highest of the treetops. Now unobstructed, its light flooded the lake and the vegetation on the shore,
turning darkness into silvery glow. Sean
felt himself and his surroundings bathed in the moonshine, an
ordinary park and an ordinary man transfigured into something otherworldly. Sean looked down at himself and was mildly
surprised to find the same figure he saw every day of his life. But the moonlight did not leave him
completely unchanged. The reflected glow
washed out his imperfections and flaws, and nearly washed out his
humanity. He felt as though the glow was
coming as much from him as from the orb in the sky. He felt transformed into a being of glory and grace, even though underneath that
light he remained the same person he always was. A spot on his left ring finger caught the
light particularly well, and for a moment it looked as though the moonshine
were reflecting off a band of silver encircling it. Goosebumps raised on his skin. A lock of hair fell across his cheek, and he raised a
hand to brush it away, only to find another hand already there.

He turned. Beside him sat a young woman, unnoticed until now, though Sean did not think that he could have
missed her arrival. She was tall and
lithe, and her bearing conveyed a sense of rightness and grace. Her skin was very fair, almost translucent,
contrasting sharply with the jet-black hair that streamed over her shoulders. Through that hair peeked two ears that ended
in just the slightest suggestion of an elegant point. Her features were angular, their sharpness tempered by a
tender smile. And her eyes were the
brightest green, so bright they seemed to shine in the moonlight. Sean’s breath caught in his throat, but then
the tension and surprise faded from him, and he smiled contentedly.

“Hello, my
love,” he said, and leaned in for a kiss.

Afterwards,
they lay on the grass, snuggled naked together in sleepy warmth. The woman was curled up next to Sean, her
head on his chest, with her fingers tracing patterns over the skin of his arms and
his torso. Sean held her tightly, as he
always did, knowing this moment would end too soon, and wishing that maybe this time he could hold her firmly enough to keep her at his side.

The woman
raised her head to look at him, her eyes uncommonly solemn.

“Do you
regret this?” she asked, her low, musical voice not hiding a tremor.

“What we
just did?” Sean replied, trying to raise her spirits. “Believe me, that’s the very last thing on my list of potential regrets.”

“No, I
didn’t mean that,” she said. Her
faint smile showed that she appreciated the jest, but she wouldn’t be deterred
by it. “Do you regret me? Do you regret taking a wife you can only be with when
the full moon reflects upon the water? A wife you are cursed to forget when we are apart?” Her voice and her face betrayed a real concern, so Sean put aside his
joking manner. He raised himself up on
one elbow, wanting to look full into her face to show her his sincerity.

“No, I
don’t,” he said, matching her serious tone. “When we are together, I don’t regret it for a second. I love you, no one else. It’s only when I’m with you that I’m fully
aware of what the word ‘love’ even means. And I’ll take a few stolen hours with the woman I truly love over a
lifetime with her first runner-up any day.”

A smile flickered across her features, but could not dispel the worry in her voice. “I fear you
hold it against me. I fear that I
have left you with only half a life.
I fear that whatever I may offer you is not enough to repay what you
have given up.”

“Never
think it,” Sean said. He took her hand
and held it to his lips, then his heart. “I chose this life. I chose you. I knew what I was getting into. My time with you is worth more to me than every moment of my life without you. You bewitched me, my love. Your faery magic captured my heart and now I
can never let you go.”

“There was
no magic involved and you know it,” she replied, trying to sound serious but
betrayed by a giggle.

“That’s
what you think,” Sean said, “but you cast a spell over me as surely as if you
had commanded it. I can only be left to wonder how any man, both mortal and faery, could not
be your captive.”

“Many
pursued me, but none caught me until you.
And I am caught, Sean, as surely as you.”

“Do you regret that?” Sean asked, fearing that he had discovered what was truly on her mind. “Do you regret taking a mortal for a
husband? My life is just a speck next to
yours. It
would destroy me to lose you, even if I couldn't remember it, but you knew from
the beginning that you would eventually lose me. How can you bear to think of that?”

“It is
nothing that others have not faced before me. I have spoken with many faery women whose
mortal husbands are long dead. Few of
them regret the decision.”

“But do
you?” Sean asked, noticing with alarm that she had not answered his
question. For a moment or two, the only
reply he got was a mournful sigh as she pulled herself even more tightly to
him. She turned her head down, her eyes hidden from his own, and replied in a heavy voice.

“Sometimes. Sometimes I do. Not because I doubt you are worth the
sacrifice. But I wonder what you are
doing without me. Without even the memory of me. I fret over your dalliances and your
women. Maybe I should be pleased that you have some comfort in our times apart, but I am too selfish to be so generous.” Sean briefly closed his own eyes in sorrow,
then, tilting up her chin, looked deep into his wife’s unearthly gaze.

“Never blame yourself for those feelings,” he said firmly. “It’s not
selfishness to want me for yourself, or to hurt when you know I am with another. Even though I am ignorant at the time, such betrayal is a horrible
thing to do to the one you love.” Sean's breath caught in his throat, blocked by the lump that was forming
there. “I’m so very sorry for all that I
have done to you in my forgetfulness. I only have one regret concerning you: that my choice to be with you has brought you pain. I am the selfish one. Please forgive me.” He ran a strand of night-black hair through
his hand, brushing her neck in the process. She caught her hand in his, and brushed it gently with her lips.

“My love,
there is nothing to forgive,” she said. “You are not to blame.”

Sean could not accept absolution so easily. “Those other women . . .” he
continued. “They’ve always felt
empty to me. Deep down, I knew there was
something missing.” He placed her hand
over his heart. “I’m only complete when
I’m with you.”

“I
understand, Sean. I feel the same. That is why I chose the way I did.” Her lips curled in a shy smile, though it
could not completely dispel the haunting in her eyes. “Let us leave this talk of fear and regret
behind. I want to enjoy my time with my
husband while I can. My foolish worries
have stolen enough of it.”

The faery
woman raised her hand to Sean’s face, her touch as delicate as leaves on water,
wind on grass. A silent, unnecessary apology. Sean could not hold her fears against her,
nor begrudge the time taken to console her. Despite her assurances, he keenly felt the
imbalance of their situation. For her
sake, he wished that when they were apart, she could forget him as much as he
forgot her.

Sean hated the magic that kept them
apart, hated that the men of her race feared mortal men so much that they would
so punish their women who loved them. He forced his hatred down. To dwell on it was to steal from
them both the few moments they had together. Much time had already been lost, no matter the necessity. He could never
be sure of when they would be together again. Sean leaned over to answer his wife's touch with his own, to be with her
as fully as possible for the time they had left.

Overhead,
the moon moved behind the oncoming clouds, and she was gone.

Write a Review
Did you enjoy my story? Please let me know what you think by leaving a review! Thanks,
Eric Smith

Jade Niday:
This book has a really great plot. The author really makes you feel connected to the main character. There are twist around every corner you never see coming.. Great read for sure and I can't wait to see what happens next.

Ruby0h:
Overall I thought your story was really good! It drew me in right away and kept me interested as the story progressed. I loved the character of Kayla being inserted into this story, and the way she affected and shaped the life of the original story into something totally new and interesting. I lo...

annie08c:
I really like this story, I can relate to it a lot and with how she feels, the boyfriend and the events that happened but I'm a little bit younger. It was really good plot, really liked how you stuck to the topic and you had a new title for every chapter making me guess what's going to happen. Ma...

ernbelle:
When I first started this story I was a little unsettled by all of the information that appears in the prologue, and wasn't sure if I would continue. However, I am very glad I did. The plot was very well thought out and really interesting. There were not any page breaks or markers to acknowledge ...

Hudson:
Your story was fantastic Erin! The Rising Sun was one of the first stories I read on Inkitt, and I have to say I don't regret the three to four days I spent pouring through the story.Probably the biggest strength I see in your writing is your characterisation of Eliana, Oriens, and the rest of th...

Alex Rushmer:
This was not what I expected, but I enjoyed it a lot Malfoy was always one of the characters that I liked a lot, so I like that a lot of this happens between him and Colette. I read the first couple chapters, and I enjoyed your writing style and am excited to see where you take this story. My com...

deniserudolp:
Breath of fresh air.....reading so many story's and wonderful writers. ...A story comes along as this that had me frustrated. ..hurt. ...In love. .and overjoyed all into one book ....wonderful story...that you can read over and over....and nd enjoy every time.

SandraHan1:
This story is very descriptive, with vivid scenes from the very beginning, which made for a good scene setting. I love the symbolism in names, such as “Naysayers”, “Hadd”, etc . The story itself is revolutionary, intriguing, emotional and exciting. I was very pleased to see that there is a happy ...

Marimar Amieva:
I just can't believe the story! I absolutely loved it, all of it. The characters and their chemistry between them, and the fact that they are relatable. The story also has some sick plot twists, which I never saw coming. I loved the fact that it is an adorable love story but has its mystery touc...

Caryn Moy:
Love this series! Very well written, great plot and characters! I love time travel mysteries and this was different from anything I've read in the past! Bring on the sequel!!! I need to see the Compact get squashed!

zoheusher20:
What more can I say? The writing style and little details drew me into the book and for the entirety of the story I was Juliet. I felt her turmoil and emotions and every trouble or triumph as they arrived. This story was very different and had quite a few little but unexpected twists that made it...

Shweta Somwanshi:
I just chose to read this out of nowhere and now I can't stop. Hats off to the author who made the reader swoon away with words so beautifully! I loved how I was able to imagine everything so explicitly because the writing was simple and easily comprehensive with a touch of complexity somewhere b...

Giuliana Cassetta:
My face is full of tears, I never cried like now with a book or even a movie. I loved every single chapter. I truly don't know what to say, I'm out of words and my eyes hurt from crying. Such an bittersweet story, it's so wonderful. One of my favorites for sure. Keep it up!

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